A Girl I Knew
by take the mic. sing to me
Summary: I’m sorry, too, Troy. Sorry for not being good enough.


**A/N:** This is a sad but thought-provoking story. I was in a sad mood, and although the title is a line of a happy song (_That Girl_ by Lindsay Lohan), I just felt the need to write it. (Written June 3rd in about a half-hour…yes, I'm timing myself. xP)

I just want to make this clear: I'm not saying that just because Troy made all of those promises to Gabriella that he shouldn't have broken up with her if he wasn't happy with their relationship. By no means am I saying that. And…well. You just evaluate the story for yourself. Read and review, please! Give me your opinions on the stuff that happens. Oneshot, since I'm a Troyella person.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Gabriella." Troy was unable to hold his now-ex-girlfriend's gaze. She looked so hurt and miserable. But it was for the best…right? They were just too different. In the long run, it couldn't possibly work.

"I'm sorry, too, Troy." Gabriella stood up shakily, heading for the Boltons' front door. She just couldn't understand how an evening that had started out so perfectly could end so horribly. "Sorry for not being good enough.

Tears threatened to well up in Troy's throat. He had honestly wanted to stay friends with her. "Gabriella—" he sighed helplessly.

But she was gone.

Tears blurred Gabriella's vision, but she didn't really care. She just needed to get out. Just get out. She ran out to her car and sped away.

Months passed, and the former couple was civil, at best, to each other. Their tightly-knit, diverse group of friends suffered greatly, and at this point everyone (even Chad and Taylor) was out of ideas. Gabriella could often be found sobbing in an unlocked bathroom stall at least three times a day. Everyone knew that Troy was the cause for Gabriella's melancholy demeanor, and East High in general had lost much of its laughter and cheerfulness.

"Gabriella, don't do this to yourself," Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi would beg concernedly. "No boy is worth it."

Gabriella would only look up at them, and her appearance was shocking. She wore no makeup; her eyes were red, puffy, and bloodshot; her curly hair was sticking to drying streaks of tears on her blotchy face.

Nobody got used to it—they did, however, finally accept Gabriella's small appetite which caused her already slim figure to shrink, almost threatening to disintegrate and vanish altogether. Often her friends worried about her (including Troy) and her depression, which was now in its third month in the running.

Mrs. Montez was worried about her only daughter—the sudden transition—from a bright, beautiful girl to a lifeless, pale, skin-and-bone zombie that was only a shell of the Gabriella everyone had known and loved—was just too much to bear.

When Gabriella burst out crying in the middle of a class, one of her friends would lead the hysterical girl to the guidance counselor until she regained composure.

Now, all of you are probably thinking that Gabriella shouldn't get all emo and anorexic just because a stupid guy broke up with her. But, then again, you don't know everything.

When Gabriella told Troy the truth about her dad, he couldn't believe that Mr. Montez was so verbally, mentally, and physically abusive. Troy had promised that he'd never leave her. Mrs. Montez had breast cancer and was only expected to live one more year, technically making Gabriella an orphan, since her male parental unit was in jail for life (due to having sexually abused Mrs. Montez and having harassed several other women).

"I'm scared," Gabriella had cried into Troy's dark blue sweater. "I can't do it."

Troy had stroked her hair comfortingly, kissing the top of her head gently. "You won't have to. I promise."

"How?"

"I love you with all my heart, Gabriella Maria Montez. I promise I'll marry you if you'll have me." Troy had knelt on one knee, as if he were proposing without a ring. After all, they were only juniors in high school.

"I will, Troy."

Since then, Troy had been Gabriella's only source of hope. He had kept her strong as she saw her dear mother growing weaker and weaker. Troy had promised to protect her from her father, who repeatedly threatened her even from jail.

And now… without hope, life in the future seemed very unpromising.

Gabriella stared at her mother being lowered into the ground. Mrs. Montez looked peaceful and content, having joined God. Gabriella felt wretched. She wished she could cry, but her eyes were dry from the tears she'd cried already. Her pale skin looked even paler against the dark fabric of her black dress.

Her mom's sister, Aunt Teresa, offered to drive Gabriella home (she'd be living with her aunt from then on), but she politely declined, explaining that she'd rather take her mom's car. Aunt Teresa hugged her while Gabriella just stood there, her arms simply hanging limply at her sides. She forgot all about saying goodbye to her other relatives and rushed to the car.

It was deathly quiet, but an eerie reverence hung in the air, as though the Corvette knew what had happened to its beloved owner. Gabriella dared not break the reverence of the moment by turning on the radio.

Caught up in thought, she didn't notice the bus of kids coming towards her. Innocent elementary-schoolers. By the time the bus honked frantically at her, it was too late to spare both drivers. Closing her eyes, she gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Gabriella swerved right, off of the one-way street and into a deep ditch. The car turned over and over, bouncing off of the jagged rocks as it bounced down into the pit.

The day of Mrs. Montez's funeral was the day of Gabriella's death.

Teresa Valencia, Maria Montez's younger sister, was shocked at the news, but had twistedly sensed that something like this might happen. Gabriella's funeral was exactly a week after her mother's. Everyone at East High, including a sickly Troy, attended, crying quietly or standing in respectful silence while salty tears trickled down their cheeks.

Teresa approached Troy after the service, handing him a few of Gabriella's personal belongings—her scrapbook, sheet music (_Breaking Free_), a play script (_Twinkle Towne_), and…her diary. Teresa gave Troy a stiff hug. She'd looked through the items beforehand.

Troy opened the diary and immediately wished that it had been him who died instead of Gabriella. His new girlfriend of one week, Tiffany, quietly questioned about what it was that was bothering him.

"A girl I knew."


End file.
